Mexicos Volcanoes: Hoch & Team Recap Summit Day on Ixtaccihuatl
After leaving La Malinche we drove towards Amecameca to gather last minute supplies before starting our climb to Ixtaccihuatl 17,340.’
We drove up a windy rode to the national park gate, then continued up a bumpy dirt road to La Joya, ~ 13,047’. There, we were greeted with warm soup and tacos (great fuel before a big climb!)
The team tidied up their packs -and spent the afternoon climbing to high camp ~ 14,500ft.
We ate ramen, fresh quesadillas and made a plan to have an alpine start of 1:30 am. The little hours we layed horizontally was just enough to rest our bodies and minds for the summit push. The morning shuffle included coffee, oatmeal, perfect weather and many constellations in the sky to keep us company. The climb was tough and long but all worth it once we gained the ridge in time for sunrise! From the summit we were able to see where we came from, La malinche, and our next goal, Pico De Orizaba!
The team now arrives in Puebla for some much-needed rest, site seeing and great food!
RMI Guides Lacie Smith, Joe Hoch, and Team
